Recently the Cisco class from Lenoir Community College traveled to the Cisco RTP Campus in Morrisville to learn first-hand what networking is all about.

While there, the students were exposed to the responsibilities of networking technician and engineering design teams in configuring error free networks for major companies as well as government agencies. By using the latest Cisco switches, cabling, and personal computers, networking personnel from companies are able to see how the Cisco Systems design would work for their company on any given day.

One of the highlights of the trip was learning about TACOPS, which included entering the Cisco’s Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV). TACOPS is dedicated to providing emergency communications such as voice, video and data for customers in disaster environments and other "challenging" situations.

The students also were also allowed to visit the operations room where events of the world are monitored and the network infrastructures of many areas of the world are controlled.

Students were treated to a pizza lunch while a Cisco gold partner, Rob Prokop from ePlus Technology, spoke with them about the advantages of certifications and the availability of jobs in the networking field.